The slow recovery from the Great Recession was due to unstable policies in the US and UK. Before the crash, interest rates deviated from effective rules, leading to the economic downturn. Unconventional monetary policies and fiscal stimulus packages worsened the situation. In the US, the number of federal workers involved in regulations increased significantly, unlike in the 1980s. Stable, rules-based policies in the years leading up to the crash had shown good economic performance. To succeed, we need to return to stable policies and ensure freedom in economic activities.